Gunner’s Mate Third Class Paul H. Carr, 1942-1944

Posthumously awarded the Silver Star for heroism in action during the Battle off Samar in World War II against vastly superior Japanese forces.  He was the five-inch gun captain aboard his destroyer escort Samuel B. Roberts, firing over 300 rounds against enemy cruisers at close range, knocking out an enemy eight-inch turret, demolishing her bridge, and starting fires.  Although his ship was damaged and he had to fire six rounds without the safety device of gas-ejection air, his gun was ultimately wrecked by a powder charge cook-off, killing three of the gun crew and horribly wounding Petty Officer Carr from his neck to his thigh.  Although the order was given to abandon ship as his ship was sinking, Petty Officer Carr died still trying to load and ram the final shell available.

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